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deceive:
v. tr.
1. To cause to believe what is not true; mislead.
2. Archaic To catch by guile; ensnare.
When a person is deceived, (by virtue of meaning of the word) they are ignorant of the deceit. There may be a little goad at the conscience saying “is this right?” but deceit convinces it’s hearers that it is true. That is why is dangerous.
This is one reason why each Christian needs a warm and encouraging and honest relationship with other strong Christians. We *need* each other. Hebrews 3:13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.
We may need to think whether we are allowing deceitfulness to beguile us if we hear ourselves saying “well, at least I’m not…” or “I’m not as bad as…” Deceit lets us justify our actions as “not really that bad” or asks “how far can we go” rather than the truth which declares “pursue righteousness”
Look at the difference in attitude between “what can I get away with?” and 2 Timothy 2:15 which says “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” Let’s not be afraid to speak up people. And let’s not consider “doing good” as weak.
Some links on issues (esp young) Christians may find challenging:
What wrong with Christians getting drunk? Discussion by the Sola Panel
Arrogant youthful attitudes… a blogpost from Boundless
Dating, youth culture and Lust The message of Josh Harris’s books (and DVDs) is clearly more about ‘pursuing righteousness’ in Christ and for Christ than any moral comment.
In a world where just about everything you read is scandal and shame, there are still people with conviction. Read about an actor who treasures his marriage so much, he will *not* kiss another.
oh my God
i can’t believe
you’ve got me running now
i’m desperate for you
words by antiskeptic.
My thought when listening to this (it does repeat a few times!) on Tuesday night: ‘how different my desperation for God was as a young adult compared to now.’ God changes that, I think, and it becomes less an emotional outcry and more an inward ache which is there regardless of how busy, still, good, or bad life is. I pray he never lets me lose it.
Antiskeptic; one of my favourite bands. We’ll miss you!
Thanks Nicole for the link to this article. My friends will want to read it too. Their long term love is an example we need to hear about.
When I read this to Alan, he reminded me of a sermon we heard a long time ago. The speaker was recounting the story of his father who, as an elderly man, had just buried his wife. His dad commented, “That was just as I’d always hoped; she went first so she didn’t have the burden of burying me.” The talk was given to a group of homosexual men in response to their claim that homosexual love was legitimate. After recounting the story he said “You can have no idea of that type of love.” I’m sure in today’s world this criticism could be applied to most modern ideas of love.
Who couldn’t admire a man who would desire to serve his wife so self-sacrificially?
Anyone else got a true love story to share?
This morning after Elizabeth had recounted a bizzare dream she’d had in ‘the land between’ while she was waking up, she and Mick were telling me (while the coffee brewed) of a couple of the guys at church who’d recently had their eyebrows done (!)
It wasn’t the time for a too serious conversation but I had to comment on the article I’d just opened on the gender blog that very minute; The Feminization of the American Male (after all, there are only American males).
When I picked up a coffee at Maccas later on, I noticed that the boy serving me had very dark roots under his bleached hair and his eyebrows were some days overdue for a wax! I really got to thinking about the image idol of our modern age. Read some of the advice to men from the above mentioned article: [When preparing for a special occasion] visit your hairdresser, go for a massage, and have a facial scrub [which] will all add to your confidence. And the question…Can you imagine our great grandfathers talking [about] the slow pampering of a bath, moisturizer, eye cream, manicure kit, pedicure kit, body moisturizer, and body scrub?
Admittedly, most of this is new. Not the vanity, self absorption and pride but certainly the pampering, plucking, dying and primping! The article comments: If men are focused on such trivial things as dry skin and pampering themselves with long baths, it will be all the more difficult to expect them to lead, provide, and protect. Read the complete article on the gender blog here.
Most boys I grew up with would have identified those tips as the realm of the feminine, without a blink of the eye. But then I got thinking about the whole gym culture with its body building, workouts and weight training. Just because this is a manly pursuit, doesn’t make it more ‘right’ does it? Men are built to be buff. They used to build muscles by splitting wood, carting heavy objects and doing real man things. But if the focus of servant-like leadership has become hazy and ‘it’s all about me’ then the gym is as much an image idol as plucked eyebrows and manicured nails, just as much a distraction from ‘who and what am I supposed to be?’
I really don’t think we can lay down rules about how to look and dress, what shampoo to use or whether to wax the T-bar. But I do think that as Christians we should ask seriously; what shapes my image…the magazines on the i-bars at Coles, the neutering of gender issues in our culture or my understanding of myself as a child of God?
And guys…here’s my tip; Jesus was the son of his Father.
I wrote a whole scree of stuff about this article that Diane sent me the other night. But it was waffle. While it provided much for me to think about (peddling along Diane!) I really doubt my thoughts on it would interest anyone else.
But the article itself might. It is very long *but* it gets better.
Summary: Danish Island committed to sustainable energy alternatives. Swiss innovators working on the project who’ve developed ways to cut a general consumer’s energy consumption by…well, it depends on if you’re Bangladeshi or American…but for most of us, by lots. Wild estimations about how and why and what we’ve done to natural resources which can seem meaningless (and thus easily ignored). Interesting, but unintentional social comments.
Last year Alan and his helpful friends ran a seminar “Money and Life” at our church (St Peter’s Armidale) It’s on again on Saturday 26th July. Same thoughtful content with some updated info in line with the happening world scene. More info: 6775 1755
Francis Schaeffer has very helpful comments to make about how Christians should consider the Arts. We have found that he has shaped our thinking positively over the years and it’s been helpful to us as we’ve raised 5 children who each have differing but very intentional directions in the various expressions of the arts (drama, music, design, fine arts)
A frustration we’ve had however, is that Christians generally, seem to think little about the arts, if at all. It is either nice and we like it, or ‘out there’ or ‘off’ and we don’t. The thought seems to be that Christians should be involved if it has an evangelistic agenda; but what else would you want to do with it?
But this isn’t very helpful to the person who writes poetry just because it wells up within them. Is this a waste of time? Or the actor who just wants to do it because that happens to be what drives him. Isn’t this indulgent and ‘glory seeking’. Is there value in painting when it may never hang in a museum? Or designing books full of boats which will never be built? Should Christian boys and girls be discouraged from attending secular performing arts schools like NIDA?
I haven’t got much to say on this topic today but it is one which our family has mulled over for years and years. Occasionally we’ll find a useful resource to help sharpen us a little further. That’s why I was glad to find this post a while back on the Sovereign Grace Blog. I’ll be keeping my eyes out for Art for God’s Sake, recommended as further reading at the bottom of the blog post.
Here’s a quote from the post (written by CJ Mahaney):
Artistic talent originates in God and for this reason the church has esteemed artistic expression throughout the centuries. French Reformer John Calvin (1509-1564) wrote, “all the arts emanate from God, and therefore ought to be accounted divine inventions.” [1]
But this appreciation for art and its divine source does not contradict the church’s need to evaluate the value and limitations of art.
A century ago, Dutch theologian Herman Bavinck (1854-1921) wrote the following concern.
Art cannot close the gap between the ideal and reality. Indeed, for a moment it lifts us above reality and induces us to live in the realm of ideals. But this happens only in the imagination. Reality itself does not change on account of it. Though art gives us distant glimpses of the realm of glory, it does not induct us into that realm and make us citizens of it. Art does not atone for our guilt, or wipe away our tears, or comfort us in life and death. …Granted, the two are connected. From the very beginning religion and art went hand in hand. [2]
How do we as twenty-first century Christians evaluate and critique the value of the arts? What relationship do the gospel and the arts share? What role and service do the arts play in the church?
Elizabeth has been reading “Do Hard Things” by Brett and Alex Harris, 19 year old twins. I’ve been reading along behind her. I mentioned it in December when I put it on backorder at Koorong, but now it’s finally published.
I want to post some quotes I’ve highlighted as an indicator to the content and it’s helpfulness to teenage Christians:
God’s word is clear. Psalm 1:1 tells us, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers” A lot of people, though, seem to quit reading there and miss the next verse: “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”
Our culture seems to hear the don’ts but not the dos.
Charles Spurgeon…commented, “Perhaps some of you can claim a sort of negative purity, because you do not walk in the way of the ungodly; but let me ask you – Is you delight in the law of God? Do you study God’s word? Do you make it your…best companion and hourly guide?” If not, Spurgeon said, the blessing of Psalm 1 does not belong to you.
I appreciate the following comment on our modern culture’s low expectations for achievement; you only need be ordinary to gain accolades for excellence, and let’s face it; most good, Christian kids these days could gain this reputation without effort –
The real danger for youths intent on rebelution is that these smarter-than-the-average-bear kudos can become the new and easy standard.
Unfortunately, we often get praise for things that weren’t particularly difficult to achieve. If we focus on the props and the encouragement to those who have low expectations for us, we become mediocre.
It can be challenging to set our sights on excellence, particularly when we’re hearing that we’re already there. One of life’s greatest lessons, which we all must learn, could be expressed in the phrase “That was nothing. Watch this.” Challenge yourself and others to call the normal things normal and save that word excellent for things that really are.
We’ve received [letters] form teens complaining about getting corny awards at school like the Celebration of Excellence for Leadership. All they’d done was turn in their homework and pay attention in class while everyone else goofed off. “It’s sad how little I had to do to earn this award,” wrote one girl.
What do we expect of/for our emerging adults?
we’ve been working at it for about 25 years… but an actual *movement* for slowness? it appears that some people need to be convinced to ‘cook unhurried meals with friends, cultivate a garden and take long walks’. for me, it’s been these last couple of years which have actually sped up …
Today ... 